Ford’s F-150 may be the best selling vehicle in this country, but it’s not entering 2018 without numerous revisions, most notably new headlights, grilles and taillights, and more power, too. So, we put experts David Booth and Derek McNaughton behind the wheel of the 2018 F-150 Lariat, with its revised 2.7-litre EcoBoost V6 and new 10-speed automatic transmission. Here are their impressions.

DM: I would not want to be a Ford F-150 buyer today; the four engine choices – soon to be five when the diesel arrives – are all compelling. Choosing one would be hard. In the past, I’ve recommended the bigger 3.5-litre turbo V6, mostly because its 470 lb.-ft. of torque is an awesome amount of power. But after some miles in our 2.7-litre turbo V6 tester — upgraded to 400 lb.-ft. of torque for 2018 — my loyalties are shifting. How could they not be? I achieved 11.2 L/100km highway at a brisk and constant 120 km/h, and was never wanting for power. The overall average on this truck is currently registering a laudable 12.8 over its first 3,000 kilometres.

DB: Yep, this engine is sweet. For a mere 2.7 litres, its ability to cruise even beyond 120 km/h — I may have touched a police-upsetting 140 km/h once or twice — is particularly impressive. Even when accelerating hard, say on an on ramp to those otherwise-to-be-denied 140 km/h, there was never a harsh tone from the 2.7, amazing that a truck-based V6 could sound so smooth. I also recorded about the same fuel economy at 120 — 11.4 L/100 kilometres, to be exact — but also noted that consumption went down dramatically to 8.5 L/100km when I reduced my speed to 100 km/h. Like many of Ford’s EcoBoost engines, the 2.7L looks to be specifically tuned to show its best on the EPA’s dyno.

2018 Ford F-150

Derek McNaughton, Driving

2018 Ford F-150

Derek McNaughton, Driving

2018 Ford F-150

Derek McNaughton, Driving

2018 Ford F-150

Derek McNaughton, Driving

2018 Ford F-150

Derek McNaughton, Driving

2018 Ford F-150

Derek McNaughton, Driving

2018 Ford F-150

Derek McNaughton, Driving

2018 Ford F-150

Derek McNaughton, Driving

2018 Ford F-150

Derek McNaughton, Driving

2018 Ford F-150

Derek McNaughton, Driving

2018 Ford F-150

Derek McNaughton, Driving

2018 Ford F-150

Derek McNaughton, Driving

DM: You’re right about smooth. At idle and under acceleration, the 2.7 is measurably quiet and never coarse, a lot like the truck itself. I like that you can hear the whistle of the turbo at times, too. It’s even more fun in Sport mode. I’m not sure anyone needs more power than this except if they’re towing; but even here, the 2.7 can stand proud. I towed about 4,000 pounds and got 13.7 L/100 kilometres, at mostly 100 km/h. Maximum towing with the 2.7L ranges from 7,600 to 8,500 pounds, depending on configuration.

Keeping the transmission in Tow-Haul mode helped the truck pull decently, eliminating any lugging and downshifting appropriately downhill too. So, unless you’re regularly pulling race cars or tractors, the 2.7L is a good fit. Now with port- and direct-injection, there’s no need to worry about carbon build up either. Only the diesel would lure me away from the 2.7 now. I’m not totally sold on the 10-speed, though, even though it works fine. Shifts were never a problem, but there’s a crispness absent. I heard a clunk once or twice when cornering. The gearbox just seems busy; not flustered, but not relaxed either.

DB: The other thing I liked was the huge gas tank — 136 litres — that registered no less 1,032 kilometres of range when filled. Imagine that, not having to fill up for two or even three weeks, and even then it’s just a five-minute pump at my local Esso. Hell, I could make it all the way from Toronto to Ottawa and back and still have enough to crawl in traffic a few times. For those EV advocates looking for the antidote to range anxiety, look no further than the 2.7L F-150.

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Also impressive on those long range trips is the comfort inside the F-150. Oh, the ride isn’t quite limousine-like, but gone are the days of buckboard bounce. And the cabin? Absolutely luxurious.

DM: Indeed, the seats and padding on the F-150 are excellent, fitting for a truck that really is an enjoyable place to spend swaths of time. On a whole afternoon of driving — which, with that big tank, meant never worrying about needing fuel — I never cramped up. All the nooks and cubbies are right where I want them. There were no squeaks, rattles of creaking anywhere in the cabin.

DB: I also — praise the Lord and pass the microchips — enjoyed using Ford’s latest infotainment system. Most of the bugs (shall we call them inconsistencies?) in the Sync 3 system are seemingly ironed out. Switching between audio and navigation system, for instance, was a doddle and I loved how Sirius radio was displayed.

2018 Ford F-150

Derek McNaughton, Driving

2018 Ford F-150

Derek McNaughton, Driving

2018 Ford F-150

Derek McNaughton, Driving

2018 Ford F-150

Derek McNaughton, Driving

2018 Ford F-150

Derek McNaughton, Driving

2018 Ford F-150

Derek McNaughton, Driving

2018 Ford F-150

Derek McNaughton, Driving

2018 Ford F-150

Derek McNaughton, Driving

2018 Ford F-150

Derek McNaughton, Driving

That said, my only two significant issues regarding the F-150 were electronically based. For one, the lane-keep assist system was a little crude. Where more sophisticated systems keep the vehicle in the middle of the lane, the F-150 waited until it was up against one of the lane’s white lines before taking action and steering towards the other side, setting up a mild weave between demarcation lines. That, however, was easily rectified by just shutting the system down with the touch of a button. The other cause for concern is that I thought, initially, that the F-150 didn’t have anything that warns you when someone is in your blind spot, a welcome addition considering the F-150’s size, and the outside mirrors don’t have those convex attachments that allow a broad view of your immediate left or right.

However, it turns out the big Ford does have a blind spot monitoring system, only that the indicating light — built into the side mirrors — is so small I never noticed it. Even once alerted that it exists, it never attracted my attention enough to warn me. So, Ford, I understand your desire to make your trucks more sophisticated and subtle, but this is one case where a little Chef Gordon Ramsey might be warranted.

DM: Had your mirrors been adjusted correctly, my old, old friend, you would not have needed Ford’s blind spot monitoring, and those mirrors are big enough to see all along the so-called blind zone. But I do agree the lane-keeping system needs some fine tuning. Yes, it allows the truck to sway like a salmon heading upstream, but it’s equally fish-like when compensating or correcting when it can be darty and overcompensate.

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DB: Give that a moment’s thought, Derek. If the biggest thing one can carp about is either the size of the blind spot monitoring indicator light (in my case) or the lane keeping assist system going walkabout, it’s a fair indication of how far the pickup truck in general, and the F-150 in particular, has come. The engine, the ride and the interior — my dad just loved the automatically deployed running boards! — are all excellent. Half limo, half work truck, our $71,899 tester was most surprisingly capable, though there’s a price — as in hard, cold cash — for all that excellence.

DM: For sure. The F-150 has come so far and, despite the price tag, it’s the sales leader for trucks for this very reason — there is so little to harp about, having become so finely polished that it’s hard to find fault. I too loved those power running boards, a $950 option. GM and Ram will be introducing their new trucks very shortly, but it will take some seismic shifts to unseat the F-150 from the throne.

DB: With its aluminum superstructure and sophisticated turbocharged engines, it will indeed take a radical remake from either to compete directly. Could we see an aluminized and turbocharged competition? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.